Frosted Christmas Brownies Recipe packs fudgy chocolate, creamy vanilla frosting, and crunchy holiday sprinkles into one festive bite. Busy bakers and party hosts who want a showy dessert in about 55 minutes total will love this easy holiday treat. I shared a tray with my mail carrier and scored VIP package placement all week.
Why Frosted Christmas Brownies Recipe Is Worth It
Frosted Christmas Brownies Recipe gives you bakery-level texture without fancy techniques. You whisk warm sugar into chocolate for a shiny crackly top, then finish with a thick, fluffy frosting that holds sprinkles like a champ. You bake it in one pan and slice it cleanly for parties, cookie trays, and gift boxes.
Ingredients You Need
- Unsalted butter: 10 tablespoons for brownies, 1 stick for frosting. Use European-style for richer flavor.
- Semisweet chocolate: 4 ounces chips or chopped bar. I like Ghirardelli or Guittard.
- Granulated sugar: 3/4 cup.
- Light brown sugar: 1/4 cup, packed. It adds moisture and chew.
- Eggs: 2 large plus 1 yolk, room temp for better shine.
- Vanilla extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons in batter. Clear vanilla makes snowy frosting stay bright.
- Cocoa powder: 1/3 cup, natural or Dutch-process both work. I favor King Arthur.
- All-purpose flour: 3/4 cup, spooned and leveled or 95 grams if you weigh.
- Fine sea salt: 1/2 teaspoon.
- Instant espresso powder: 1 teaspoon optional for deeper chocolate flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips: 1/2 cup optional for extra pockets of chocolate.
Frosting:
- Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup, softened.
- Powdered sugar: 2 cups, sifted to avoid lumps. Domino works great.
- Heavy cream or milk: 2 to 3 tablespoons to reach spreadable texture.
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon. Add 1 to 2 drops peppermint extract if you want a minty vibe.
- Pinch of fine salt.
- Holiday sprinkles or crushed candy canes for topping.
Pantry shortcuts:
- Use a boxed brownie mix for an 8-inch pan and bake per the box. Frost with the recipe below or use your favorite tub frosting in a pinch.
- Swap butter with neutral oil in the brownies, but butter gives better flavor.
Substitutions:
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 baking flour blend.
- Dairy-free: Use a quality vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate. Use oat milk in the frosting.
- Egg-free: Use 2 flax eggs for the 2 eggs and add 1 tablespoon milk for the yolk; the texture turns more cakey.
Equipment:
- 8-inch square metal pan, parchment paper
- Medium saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
- Whisk, rubber spatula, hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cooling rack, offset spatula, sharp knife
Quick Tips & substitutions
- Line the pan with a parchment sling so you can lift and slice clean squares.
- Whisk the sugars into warm chocolate to help the top set shiny and crackly.
- Mix the batter until just combined to keep the crumb fudgy, not tough.
- Pull the brownies when a toothpick shows moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Let the slab cool fully before frosting so the buttercream stays fluffy.
- Keep frosting on the thicker side so sprinkles sit nicely and don’t bleed.
- Warm the knife under hot water, wipe dry, then cut for clean edges.
- No cocoa left? Replace cocoa with 2 extra ounces melted chocolate and reduce sugar by 2 tablespoons.
- No heavy cream? Use milk and add a teaspoon of cornstarch to keep it stable.
How to Make Frosted Christmas Brownies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch metal pan with parchment, leaving overhang on two sides.
- Melt butter and semisweet chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar while the mixture stays warm. The mixture will look glossy and thick.
- Whisk in eggs and the extra yolk one at a time, then whisk in vanilla for 30 seconds to aerate slightly.
- Sift cocoa over the bowl and whisk until combined.
- Stir in flour, salt, and espresso powder with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Fold in mini chips if you use them.
- Spread batter into the pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once on the counter to pop air bubbles.
- Bake 23 to 26 minutes until the center looks set and a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
- Cool the pan on a rack until the slab reaches room temperature. Lift the brownie slab out using the parchment.
- Beat softened butter for the frosting until creamy. Add powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons cream, vanilla, and salt; beat until fluffy, adding a splash more cream if needed.
- Add peppermint extract if you want a mint flavor. Taste and adjust salt or vanilla.
- Spread frosting over cooled brownies and shower with sprinkles or crushed candy canes. Chill 10 minutes to set, then slice into 16 squares.
Simple Variations
- Peppermint mocha brownies: Add 1 tablespoon espresso powder to the batter and frost with peppermint buttercream.
- White Christmas: Use white chocolate chips inside and top with white sanding sugar and coconut flakes.
- Salted caramel swirl: Marble 1/3 cup thick caramel into the batter before baking and finish with a pinch of flaky salt on the frosting.
- Cookies-and-cream: Fold in crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and swap vanilla frosting for a cookies-and-cream version by mixing in more cookie crumbs.
- Gluten-free festive: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour and dairy-free butter; frost with dairy-free vanilla frosting.
Ways to Serve Frosted Christmas Brownies
- Set on a cookie platter with gingerbread, sugar cutouts, and peppermint bark.
- Pair with hot cocoa, coffee, or eggnog.
- Warm a square and top with vanilla ice cream and crushed candy canes.
- Wrap bars in parchment and twine for edible gifts.
- Cut into bite-size cubes for a dessert board with berries and chocolate-covered pretzels.
Storage
Store frosted brownies covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days and bring to room temp before serving so the frosting softens. Freeze slices on a sheet pan, wrap individually, and keep up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped at room temperature to keep the frosting smooth.
Frosted Christmas Brownies Recipe
Frosted Christmas Brownies are decadent, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with festive frosting and sprinkles the perfect holiday dessert treat.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Stir in cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder until fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let brownies cool completely before frosting.
- In a bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well.
- Add vanilla extract and just enough milk to reach a spreadable consistency.
- Divide frosting into separate bowls and tint with red and green food coloring as desired.
- Spread colored frosting over cooled brownies and decorate with holiday sprinkles.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Let the brownies cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.